Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-10

sion involves the expense OF UIluSe osSi
the Great Kanawha, at Pt. Pleasant, with
a channel span of 500 feet. This bridge
will cost 4 good round sum, but it Will go
up, and like all the COmpany'sproperty, will
be of the very best design, material
and workmanship. About the middle OF
n corps of engineers will also be
put upon the line of a projected and I'M
portant feeder, running from Ravenswood,
Jackson county, to Spencer, Roane county,
a distance of thirty-six miles. Some S65,-
600 has already been appropriated Tor
this work. The extension to PIT. Pleasant
was built with wonderful rapidity, con-
sidering the difficulties encountered
Everything in the way of metal had to he
shipped from Pittsburg around by way oil
Columbus and down the Kanawha and
Ohio road, exposing the contractors to IN
Vulnerable delays and the Company to
heavy expense; gravel could only be OBJ
tanned at two places on the line, while the
difficulties of making road bed at some
points were very great. For instance, at
Letart Narrows, about q miles above
PIT. Pleasant, eighty men were
engaged for three months IN
trying to make road-bed on the face OF
slippy hill, and $4,000 cubic yards OF
earth had to be moved and retaining walls
built before the job was completed. Just
below New Haven the road-bed is carved
out of the face of solid rock, the perpen-
dicular crop Of which afforded no foOthold
for the surveyors, and men had to be low
cred down with ropes from the summit TO
run the levels. In some places the face OF
the rock is forty feet above the track, solid
as the front Of steel vault, and enough
powder was burned in blasting to carry an
army through a tiercely-contested war.
Even yet gangs are plying the drill at some
points, and tons of rock are being blown
into the river to afford more room for the
rolling stock These difficulties were great,
but once the road-bed was prepared the
track layers made things hum Mr.. Speyer
and his men put down the entire 70 miles
of track in IL days and hours actual
time-an average of nearly two
miles per day! Amile day, out on the
prairies, when the Union Pacific was young,
used to be considered good speed.
The improvements being put up by the
Company are of the most substantial char
acter. The new passenger station at Sec
ond and Ann streets, Parkersburg, has been
alluded to. All along the line the station
buildings are large, neat in appearance, and
to last for generation. The
water stations are provided with 1907
barrel tanks, elevated % feet above the
track, and filled by pumping stations on
the river bank. At RaveuswOod the Com
pany has six acres of land, upon which is
being erected freight depot $50 by 40
feet, fine turn-table, handsome pasSen-
ger station and large stock pens. At PIT.
Pleasant So, 200 has been expended in
land, 200 acres lying in one piece, on which
is located passenger depot, round house
with accommodation for four engines, cat
tie pens, etc, with extensive side tracks.
Inclines leading to the river are also
under way at Point Pleasant, Ripley
Landing and at two other points The
bridges over the streams are uniformly
strong. At Big Mill creek there is an
ron truss bridge of $50 feet span, one of
100 feet span at Lee creek, one of 100 feet
span at Sand creek and number of
SlIuClulGS vi Il SAlullll hluN,
built by the Phoenix Bridge Company,
while the trestles are massive in character.
The track is ballaSted with broken stone
,r gravel in the best manner. With this
brief summary of the past, present and
uture of the road, we will return to the
Of the events of the trip.
THE TRIP.
At 8 o'clock the train ran opposite the
he head of historic Blannerhassett.
md a splendid view of the Island and the
shores on both sides of the
liver was had. The train ran remarkably
teady, and the sOlidity of the road bed
surprised and delighted the officers OF the
Company. The ascent of the long grade
o Washington Bottom, at the foot of
began at $40, and a few
minutes later our way lay across the rich,
olling and high stretch of land once the
of the Father of his Country.
This piece of country is the ideal farm
NJ land. Rolling gently, it is topped
With an alluvial soil ofthe highest fertility,
md when but tickled with hoe responds
n the most abundant haryests. The
dllIOdl IuuS Hall - luliC ilOLi bLN
liver, and the track is nearly straight for
everal miles.
At $50 the train came upon the tele-
Taph gang, about eight miles out of Park
rsburg, and short stop was made. Again
citing under Roadway, the train ran
lown the grade at the lower end of Wash
ngtOn Bottom, and turning close to the
liver passed Scott postOf1iCe, nine miles
ut. Close to the postoffice is Meldahl's
tation, surrounded by n great grape
rowing country. Most of the product of
he vines is shipped by the German grow
rs to Kelley Island, whence it is trans
Ormed into that justly celebrated bever-
ge-kelley Island wine. Along here the
ills are low and are quite a distance
'ack from the river; the intervening bot
oms making eSfarming land.
Opposite Newberty bar, that spot de-
ested by river meps we came to some very
leavy rock cutting kand there, too, met
,ravel train, and a fang of $50 ballasters--
mixed aSsemblag} OF Italians, Americans,
riSh and negroes Sliere the train lay for
lalf an hour, viii ! a piece of track was
'ut in shape. and at 9:15 we sped away
soon passing Section Boss Man
ling and gang of men blasting out rock
o admit of the track being removed few
eet farther in toward the hill. At 9:35
Harris Ferry, opposite HockingpOrt, o.,
vas passed, and = $50 the train entered
lpon Belleville Bottom, ran over the fine
ron bridge at Lae creek, and halted at
Station ut 1905. Belleville is
pposite Reedvili:, and is reputed the
town ~ the United States.
he road runs bout half mile
'ack from the town, which faces
light along the rivFC hank, and how the in
will get rom their homes to the
ars, or rice rerSd, on mornings when heavy
ew falls, is past shy comprehension. In
eSpair suggest ttiltS-long ones. The
rain lay at Bellev;lle half an hour to allow
gravel train to pr 81, and the inhabitants
warmed out TO thf cars and took lively
interest in the engine, the tender, the
zach, and the inr;ates thereof Many en-
uiries were made regarding the mails and
reight trains, anu the people were much
at tn information that Uncle
am had as yet done nothing in regard to
he former, while the Company could not
'romise freight trains before February lst.
We left Belleviiie at 1910, and reached
he next station, Lone Cedar, at l1:25.
iere, Pond creek the dividing line be-
veen Wood and Jackson counties emnties